#but idk... i'm continuing to think about his perspective and see it more in context

[offthewall1979]

why write Bad. like why do that.

[echos-gal]

ok i'm rapidly losing hope that Tech is still alive, and this sucks because it was basically the top thing i desperately wanted from this season. i wanted to see him survive. so here's my exhaustive and embarrassingly long list of reasons why he SHOULD still be alive, and if he isn't, why it was a missed opportunity. obviously no hate to the writers or anything, i love them dearly for creating this show!!!

(if you're a "Tech should stay dead for the stakes/so someone in SW stays dead for once/i hate delusional Tech stans" person, kindly keep scrolling, this ain't for you)

SEASON 2:

right from the start, Romar connects with Tech and calls himself "a survivor." HELLO???

in this same arc, Tech breaks his leg in a fall which he survives. he continues to walk on it, fighting off troopers to save Echo & Omega, showcasing his persistence and grit.

one of Phee's first lines is "better late than dead," and we know she shares a connection with Tech. she flirts with him later in this scene. it would be a shame not to reuse this line, i'm just saying....

Cid still owes Tech for racing for her in Faster. we see Cid looking miserable as she betrays the batch in Plan 99, so her playing a part in his rescue/comeback would be a nice way to show her growth. (i'm afraid there isn't enough time for this, though- as much as i thought a Cid redemption was on the horizon!)

Phee and Tech's departure is awkward, and although we have some context from season 3 (they talked more than we realized), the scene would do best if reconciled in person imo. it felt like it was setting up for something, and feels weird to leave hanging.

"don't go running off with any pirates or smugglers" could not have just been a throw away line. it set up for him to do exactly that. how fitting would it be if pirates or smugglers actually did manage to pick him up before the empire made it to the railcar crash site?

Hemlock's retrieval of the goggles shows that he sent a team to look through the wreckage. he thought there was a chance Tech survived, and may have him.

i won't go into the logistics, but big falls ARE survivable. in star wars especially. we have no idea what was below the layer of clouds/mist Tech fell through.

SEASON 3:

this is mostly CX-2 centric. their armor is very similar: the jaw/mouth shape, the hexagons over the ears, the rectangles on the chest, and the pouches/pockets.

"domicile." that is all.

CX-2 uses technology more than the other operatives we've seen, and he gets past the encryption on Phee's ship with ease.

"who are you?" was enunciated in the exact same way Tech says it to Trace and Rafa, which i definitely think was intentional.

CX-2 stops to use his rifle scope in the exact same spot where Tech and Phee stood to let down the ladders in the sea surge on Pabu.

he survives a waterfall plunge on Teth, which appears to have fooled Rex's group into thinking he'd died. the writers could have killed him off there and sent a new operative, but they chose to stick with CX-2 pursuing them to Pabu.

it's worth noting that while this CX is designated as "2," Tech's CT number is CT-9902. he is associated with the number even on a visual level: he's a dual-wielder, he wears goggles, he salutes with two fingers.

FROM A STORY PERSPECTIVE:

firstly, i am sorry and i LOVE the writers, but if you want people to accept a character's death, you've got to show his family and friends' grief. we saw no reaction from Crosshair or Phee, no tears from Hunter or Echo. it feels like fans were sadder about Tech's death than the characters in the story.

Tech seems to have been mentioned more in the second half of season 3 than the first half, which works if they want to bring him back in the finale.

the finale is called "The Cavalry Has Arrived." i really don't think you can have the cavalry (aka the bad batch) arrive without every member present. i also don't think it would feel right to play their theme without Tech there. idk, that feels incomplete!

we saw no body, and Hunter received Tech's goggles not from a trusted ally or friend, but from Hemlock. this calls into question the legitimacy of his claim that the goggles were "all he could salvage."

Tech alive and being held on Tantiss would provide a nice parallel to Echo in the first mission where we meet the batch, in TCW. and [ep 14 SPOILERS] we see that Echo is currently looking more like his TCW self, with his earpiece removed.

feels kinda sour that a character who a lot of people related to as neurodivergent representation would die just a few episodes after having a deep conversation with his sister about it.

likewise (and as a white woman i can't speak for WOC), from what i have seen, Black women are rarely the main love interest of a series! Phee is the ONLY love interest in this whole show, and it would suck to just cut off that romance before it could really become something. a lot of people wanted to see TechPhee become canon.

CX-2 is the one who destroys the marauder. it works well storywise for its pilot to have been the one to do that- the person who worked so hard modifying it, flying it, and teaching his sister to fly it. i'll be lowkey pissed if it turns out some random dude blew it up.

it's also CX-2 who invades and sets fire to Pabu. this is emotionally gripping on its own, but if he is Tech, it's even more so.

we have no idea what the operatives go through. Crosshair isn't telling, but it clearly put him in a really bad place. if Tech underwent this conditioning in his post-fall injured state, there's a chance he could come back from it. Emerie is probably the key to this, if they take the CX-2 route.

this show is all about a family trying to stay together as the Empire desperately tries to rip them apart. seeing the whole family together again - even if not everyone survives - in the finale is the satisfaction that the show ideally would go for. the last time they were all together was the season 1 finale. that was about 2 years ago in the show's timeline.

leaving Crosshair and Tech's final interactions be where they parted on the Kamino platform also feels off. Tech was the one who really vocalized the need to rescue Crosshair in season 2's finale. Crosshair, in the meantime, has changed significantly as a person. Tech's comment about Crosshair being "severe and unyielding," and unable to change this facet of his nature, is incorrect. leaving Tech dead would mean that he never gets to see this change in Crosshair, which makes me feel like a deflated balloon.

FROM MY SELFISH PERSPECTIVE!!!

give me Tech with cool scars and slightly disheveled longer hair. this is such a good opportunity for the creators to give him a sweet new look!

we never got to see Tech without his goggles on, despite Phee constantly referring to his eyes. he definitely doesn't have them right now (they're in the Archium), so we could get Mister Big Brown Eyes if he's alive. it's another missed opportunity if not, imo!

the goggles being placed in the Archium was a beautiful scene that makes me tear up whenever i think about it. it's symbolic, it's bittersweet, and it's exactly where the goggles belong. but was it closure for me? not really.

Tech is a character who became a LOT of people's favorite in season 2, including my own. why kill off a fan-favorite with an entire season to go?

yes, i desperately want a Rex and Echo series. yes, i want the batch to cameo in it, and yes... that includes Tech. making up for lost season 3 Tech content 😎

the finale will feature the zillo beast, and Tech loves the zillo beast. FREE HER! REUNITE THEM! he would love to witness her rampage.

FROM A "SURPRISE!!!!!" PERSPECTIVE

it seems like most people think Tech is either CX-2 or dead. it would be a great finale twist if we DID get CX-2's identity, it's NOT Tech, the audience loses hope, and then he shows up. i think this is actually plausible given the other assassin schematics Hemlock was looking at in Point of No Return. Tech might be in Hemlock's grasp, but not an active operative. having an enhanced clone to toy with is something Hemlock would want to keep under wraps. we see him step out of the assassin chamber at the start of that episode - if Tech is anywhere on Tantiss, i think it's here.

i think the writers have expected us to have all lost hope by now, so his finale reappearance would ideally come as a shock. the finale is almost guaranteed to be a very long episode, so we really might have quite a bit of time to explore his return, if it happens.

secret 16th episode: i know, i'm putting my clown makeup on as i type this. but the previous 2 seasons each had 16 episodes, with a two-parter finale. season 3 is just 15, with a single episode finale. TBB formally ends may 1st, so what if we get a may 4th surprise episode detailing how Tech survived? (that or an epilogue leading into a new series, which i think is more likely actually!)

[chaoticgalaxycats]

New Perspective by Panic! At The Disco fits Marble Hornets specifically TTA and Brian as characters and I also see no one addressing it or including it in MH playlists and I am completely normal and completely sane so I have an in-depth explanation on how I think certain lyrics fit to certain things In Marble Hornets so here is my shitty broken up analysis on it. I skipped repeats in analyzing every line of the song to try and fit in and I only picked the ones that I had some evidence/headcanons for or I thought tied back enough in a funny way

"I feel the salty waves come in

I feel them crash against my skin"

TTA has major associations with water

"And I smile as I respire

Because I know they'll never win"

"Wipe that stupid smile off your face!" -Alex Kralie

"There's a haze above my TV

That changes everything I see"

Can't remember what video but TTA used a TV is some of their entries

"And maybe if I continue watching

I'll lose the traits that worry me"

TTA assocation with eyes and watching

“Stop there, and let me correct it

I wanna live a life from a new perspective”

Seeing things or events of what occurred in Marble Hornets in a different lense

"You come along because I love your face"

I love your face could be referenced to the masks they wear it could also be interpreted through the perspective of Brian saying this affectionately to Tim referring to when Tim where's the mask

“And I'll admire your expensive taste”

Spending so much on tapes is a lot of money sooo

“And who cares? Divine intervention” This could be referring to when Alex is saved by the Operator 

"But leaving now would be a good idea

So catch me up on getting out of here"

This could be related to how often Hoody runs from Jay or Alex or Tim being distant when helping out to the Ark or Jay and then eventually just leaving due not remembering (pulling from a Night Minds interpretation as it feels like it makes sense that the operator would just erase people's memories so Alex wouldn't have more people after him) 

"We move along with some new passion

Knowing everything is fine (everything is fine)" 

"Everything is fine" being the Final quote of the series or the other one "Everything is normal, everything is fine, I worry about nothing, because nothing is on my mind" 

“And I would wait and watch the hours”

Imagine how many hours TTA spent watching everyone's everymove that's what this line could relate to they could wait and watch for as long as it takes to take down Alex

“Fall in a hundred separate lines”

Brian died by falling and it probably plays on repeat to him mentally as he travels in mind

“But I regain repose

And wonder how I ended up inside (up inside)"

Wonder how Brian ended up inside the Ark (reference to comic)

"More to the point, I need to show

How much I can come and go

Other plans fell through

And put a heavy load on you, I know"

Okay so I have two interpretations of this line when putting it in the context of me relating it to Marble Hornets in some way So interpretation 1: Brian's guilt he feels for all the help and warnings he made we're in vain and this is his feelings towards mostly Tim and possibly Jay Or interpretation two this is from the perspective of the third member of TTA (haha like new perspective get it because I'm so funny and you're to late into this poorly written lyrical analysis to back out now) anyways in the Entry Isolation Brian/Hoody asks "where is he? And with eyeballs accompanying it The eyes are something that tend to be associated with the third member (I'm taking this from Night Minds video yes)

"There's no more that need be said

When I'm inching through your bed

Take a look around instead and watch me go"

Idk watching people sleep is something that they tend to do a lot sooooo

"It's not fair, just let me perfect it

Don't wanna live a life that is comprehensive"

It's been so long that being comprehensive or having a clear consistent existence is no longer a viable option for most people who are involved in general to be honest

[frogadir]

Genuine question what is it about cos that you love so much, ive been following you for years and i got into 03 lately and i'm interested to hear your perspective

Hello this is the funniest ask I've gotten in a long time so thank you I'm being 100% serious. I got several paragraphs into answering this and then I realized maybe bullet points would be fine because no one wants to read all of that

I am jewish (Very Important Context)

Due to my jewish upbringing and personal experience with spirituality I was primed to see it wherever I looked

I watched/read all three versions fma when I was 13 and became obsessed with edgelord elric due to my #emo #depressed middle schooler sensibilities

But also because he was very jewish to me. the sparknotes on this are: atheism despite having met god. tree of life on his gate of truth. also google jacob wrestling with the angel. That literally happened to edward elric. Also manga hohenheim is arguably jewish that's a different post though.

Edward elric continues to occupy my mind for the next three years

I get more depressed and jewish and also become interested in art from and about ww.i and its aftermath

Now I am age 16 and cos gets recommended to me on youtube. like someone just uploaded the entire movie

That was the one bit of fma I never got around to so I was like okay let's check it out

I watch a movie that feels like it was created in a lab to cause as much psychological damage to me as possible

I hate it but I'm 16 and obsessed with how depressed and gay edward elric looked in it and I think to myself I have to look like him and this influences the way I dress and wear my hair from that moment on

Wait edward elric (jewish) was fighting nazis (real) ???

I watch it again

Edward elric (jewish) went to weimar germany (real) in 1923 and stopped the na.zis (real) from invading the parallel world he's from on the night of a (real) (historical) failed na.zi uprising. He stays in our (real) world and it is implied he continues to not only fight na.zis (real) but advocate against the use of nuclear weapons (real)

So absurd I can't stop thinking about it

Seven years later here we are

If you asked me if I thought it was a good movie I wouldn't even be able to give you a straight answer like from a technical standpoint yes the animation is great the music is great… however there is more to a movie than just pictures and sounds… the pictures and sounds come together to tell a story… and the story here is. Well their hearts were in the right place. I think. I think it's got a generally anti-na.zi message but on a first watch it was definitely strange to see that element mixed with a fictional world in the way that it was. I hate that they tried to make us feel bad for alfons he knew what he was doing idgaf that he just wanted to build rockets 🥺 Having the roma character secretly work with the na.zis was. hmm idk about that. but holy shit am I glad they used the word roma. Making bradley's real-world doppleganger not only be jewish but a Real Life jewish man was also a choice! One thing I actually find interesting that a lot of people hate is that they made doppleganger hughes a na.zi... like in 03 they do say that those who benefit from violence and refuse to oppose it are complicit in it... dude was Just Following Orders as a soldier in a genocidal military like him being a real life na.zi makes more sense than a lot of things in cos 😭

Is there anything else I should add. The theme of dreams vs reality and what that has to do with ed's emotional journey is interesting. Winry looked awesome too. Love how al becomes ed and ed becomes their mother. Hohenheim envy chew toy was funny. I like when ed crashes the car. I like the scene where it's implied he drank himself to sleep. Lost heaven is a great song.

So like... I wouldn't say that I "love" cos... but there are many things about it that are so fascinating to me I can't look away... it's certainly provided me with a lot of entertainment... and cos ed is peak... I hope this answers your question 😭

[fadeintolight]

Hey! I have a question that I've been sort of curious about for a while. So I've noticed that a lot of people have been annoyed by Harry post 2022 and have made their disinterest?distate? in him known. But those same people have absolutely no problem with Louis and his involvement in BG (post 2020) and basically exploiting an innocent kid to protect his own butt. They keep singing his praises and act like he's the best. Harry has definitely been CRINGING AND YIKESING hard over the last couple of years but I seem to have a harder time moving past Louis' actions. Anyway, it's not a big deal. I guess I just went off both of them at the same time and a handful of others have as well, but the majority of people just went off Harry and it's always been a bit ??? for me.

hey so this is long and 100% a personal take, so proceed with caution.

totally get where you're coming from. first off, I think we all have to accept that we don’t really know anything for sure about these people. we all just build the lore in our heads based on small cues and glimpses, and I'm definitely not an exception to that.

from my perspective, a lot of what louis is doing now seems like it was a continuation of circumstances that were forced on him back in the 1d days. the babygate situation is a prime example— we never knew if there was supposed to be an ending point or what that would even look like. what protects louis in the eyes of so many louies is this uncertainty. he was told that he would be a father—how, we don’t know; how long, we don’t know. but it's impossible to imagine him ever getting a real chance to walk away from it, and for him to say 'actually no, let me stay close to this rachet family and exploit this kid some more.' the whole situation is so horrible that our minds just can't go there and accept that. mine included. this unknowing of the details ends up protecting his character in many fans' minds.

in contrast, harry seems to have more freedom and agency over his solo career. he’s carefully cultivating this air of sexual ambiguity and mystery, leaning into an a-list celebrity status that keeps fans at arm’s length. his team /him want to project him as an enigma—someone who can’t be fully understood?? as opposed to his 1d self who was a bit more chatty, a bit more present? that has changed the dynamic of how some fans (on my dash i guess) perceive him. its just harder to see what his true intentions are?? why are you with these rancid people man. why are you being silly in a parking lot on main. but then again, I fully get that he could just be playing the long game, navigating his own path and experiences.

all in all with harry, the stunting never really hurts him- or at least he has something to gain from it—it helps move his career ahead. whether it's transitioning into movies or providing context for his music, these moments seem to push him forward, even if we hate them. while louis' stunts keep him stuck, harry's seem to be part of the narrative that builds his legacy.

on the other hand, I know I’ve bought into the ‘louis as the underdog’ persona and that’s also partially some good marketing on their end. I want to support him on the path he’s paving for himself, especially since it feels like he’s doing it without the massive backup that harry has. the story of his career fascinates me, his constant gratitude to his fans and the presence he has in his fandom feels unique and therefore the parasocial bond is stronger with him.

it’s all just psychology and character play, really. after 2020, I think a lot of us experienced some form of disillusionment when it comes to harry and louis. and then that’s just the way people work—we cope by creating narratives. often, this involves villainizing one while assigning the 'hero's journey' to the other. idk to me it makes sense from a psychological standpoint, people holding on to these preferences based on what resonates with them.

also, let's not forget that tumblr is definitely not a representative sample of the fanbase. we’re just a small village of burnt-out people. I'm sure there’s a similar 'village' on the other side that feels the same ick towards louis and is more protective of harry, and they’re allowed to see things the way they want to too. at the end of the day, we’re all just dumbass stans warping reality to suit our own narratives.

[teratomatica]

what do you mean more compelling than the alternative? why is miyao being a trans man less compelling?

ok fairly enough i maybe should have clarified this in the actual post. i (the elliot) am in fact Also a trans man so feel free to discount/deify/vilify/regard my thoughts in whatever way you would like based on this context. idk live your life. all the love. ik i am not the ideal person to be speaking on this and in a perfect world there would be someone more well-informed writing thinkpieces on the topic that i could link to but. nobody gaf about this game

i probably could have worded it better i wasn't trying to like #hate in any way i meant "compelling" mostly in the sense that this is a narrative that:

1.) just based on past experience i trust r07 to be able to write/carry out competently on some level. if he ever actually wants to continue it. that's his business🙂‍↕️

2.) i can draw more obvious comparisons to umineko if this is the case. since i spend most of my free time comparing shit to umineko. just in general like that's pretty much all i do

3.) idk like i said im happy either way 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️ one of them is For Sure trans and that's great & awesome. just imo i personally feel that there's a lot that could be discussed regarding meow's purposeful gender presentation/""hyperfeminine"" aspect/behavior/baseline existence/relationships within a transfeminine context and even though these things can for sure also be discussed from the other perspective/take on a new meaning in that context i (Personally) (Me) (Elliot) (The one writing this) prefer looking at it that way. you are of course under no obligation to also think this. i wish i could give you a like incredibly concrete grounded in reality answer on this but like i said in the original post that part is 100% just my opinion. idk why exactly i feel that way i just kind of do

i promise that this isn't me like. backpedaling i'm just not particularly good at expressing my thoughts😭😭 of course no hate to anyone else at all i just wanted to share my personal reasons for holding the opinion that i do because she's legit one of my favorite characters of all time and i never really see anyone outside of my immediate circle talking about this. like ever

[jackalopc]

cw: [fictional] abuse talked about but not graphic or detailed

i always feel bad for Michael when it comes to his family and like whenever they bring up him leaving at 18, because it's almost always in context of like how it made things bad/worse for Nate... because it always feels like they're implying that he should have stayed to protect Nate? icr what episode, but either Nate or Madie implies it got worse for Nate when he left and... i mean, yeah, Michael wasn't there to be the shock absorber. it probably was "worse" from (especially) Nates' perspective because he wasn't being physically protected anymore. it wasn't being forcibly redirected to Michael. while i dont think it makes it "better" or change anything, I can't help but wonder if it didn't get "worse" but rather stayed p much the same, just Nate had to bear the full force of it for the first time?

idk it feels unfair to Michael. like first and foremost, it's on Madie to protect her children from her abusive husband (she is not responsible for the abuse, especially as a fellow victim, but as their parent it is her responsibility to protect them). on screen, i don't think we ever like see Nate lay any of the blame on his mother for the situation. just his abusive father and... Michael leaving?

Madie was abused, too, of course. she 10000% was, but even Michael took the time to question why she didn't leave. Michael knows his mother had a hard time, and she was under his roof, too. but he feels justifiably like, upset that she didn't do more. by time the show starts, it's been literal years (8 iirc?) since Frank died, but she continues to pretend things were fine most of the time. She slowly stops defending him as hard, but even then, she still seems to skirt around acknowledging his wrongdoings, even if not directly related to the abuse. i have no doubt it's a learned response for safety.

but she's surprised when Michael leaves. He stays in (at best) minimal contact with her. she constantly harps on him about it, and it's deeply hurtful to her, and I understand why, but like ma'am... you didn't leave your abusive husband who literally caused physical harm to your children... Michael has every right to like, not want to have anything to do with home or family.

(shit man, I'm 32 and stopped talking to my dad this whole past year and continuing because he's been just, disrespectful.)

she lowkey blames him for Nate's gambling, etc. saying things didn't get really bad until Michael left. Nate's gambling problems are not Michael's fault. and they basically think Michael should have had to stay and endure more abuse...

I guess also like, it feels like they try to act like Nate is extremely young compared to Michael? He's st best like... 4 years younger. they're very close in age... he's not like 10 years younger than him, but I swear the way they talk about it, you'd think he was barely older than a toddler???

idk just Michael is the scapegoat and target, even after his dad is long dead. his mom and brother, just everything that's wrong gets laid at Michael's feet, almost always unfairly so if you stop to really think about like the problems at their core. and because Michael is at heart a kind person and a protector, he let's them because he's also a deeply broken person...

[x-other-souled-x]

I do have to say, with a certain member of our system sleeping indefinitely, there is less obvious signs of c-ptsd then before when he was awake and actively taking front time.

Long-ish ramble post incoming...

I was reflecting on the fact that we havnt had any emotional outbursts or cried ""for seemingly no reason"" in quite a long time. As well as the looming dread feelings and other markers of dwelling on The Really Bad Things. There's still some long term and deeply ingrained behaviors that would be related to c-ptsd, but theyve been more "quiet" and subtle, rather than outward or obvious emotional issues.

The thing I hadn't noticed before was that this happens to line up nicely with a certain member disappearing into the back for a long stretch of time.

In fact, it seems like the only members who are active and awake right now are ones who showed up after that specific member went to the back. Our archivist being an exception, but I wonder if that was because he was created more like a tulpa than any other member in our system, like maybe he's exempt from some hidden rules or maybe he's just not as tied to our collective emotional mess? Unsure.

I havnt seen the handful of members who were the most active at the same time as this other member, they also seem to have mostly taken the backseat or went to sleep as well.

The last 6 months or so, maybe year actually I'm not sure, there's been this mini-crisis of doubting our plurality because of active members disappearing entirely and a new "cast" taking over. Looking at it from this perspective, it could be a sign of healing or shoving things down, maybe the members who went to sleep are burdening themselves with all the turmoil and taking it to bed with them.

Personally, I can't complain, it feels like this is the best we've felt (we as in the ever-present "i" that everyone becomes when they front, or rather "i" becomes them when they front, idk how to explain still this is the best I got) in a long long time. There's still this sort of dread feeling, knowing we are missing parts of us, we sometimes wonder if he's ever coming back.

Since he was the most recent former host, and I say former but nobody really seems to want to take over that title since he left so idk, like... we still kinda see him as our host, but he's been gone for over a year now. I mean he's poked his head in a few times, only for a short bit of time, enough that we can really feel him, and then fades out again. We don't really feel "complete" without a host, but without him we don't really have one. It's not that we aren't complete without a host but it feels like there's a role with a hole in it. It causes confusion, we don't really know what to do about not having one main guy who kinda takes the main reins on things.

This is frustrating to try and talk about without using names. I'm actually getting a little mad that we can't just use names or emojis or nicknames or letters or any kind of signifier to talk abt the system members, but when we do it causes a lot of shut down and fear and it's just not worth it to try bc the end result of someone getting front locked while everyone else hides and leaves whoever is up there all alone for months at a time is horrible feeling.

Whatever, anyway.

All of this makes me beleive that our former host is the main one affected by our trauma? I don't even know if that makes sense. Like me for example, I'm I guess ""recently formed"" and although when I move into front and become the "i" then I have some context for everyone else (I think this is termed as a shared consciousness?) Then I can understand what happened to our former host and I can understand why he's been gone so long, and I can feel that he wants to not be asleep but it's so hard and he's so tired, and it takes too much energy to continue to exist in a meaningful way. He just took all the bad things to bed with him.

It's not that there's no more bad feels, no more effects of trauma, but it just seems like it's less. Before, when our former host was our main front, it did seem like we had the potential markers for bpd or bpd-like symptoms at least (I'm not crazy on self diagnosis tbh, but it's some perspective) however after he went to sleep in back, those have also almost completely disappeared. We still have some avoidance, we can't be in certain fandoms anymore bc the thoughts surrounding them are too overwhelming, a leftover from our guy we've been talking abt.

The more things sort of happen, the more I realize we definitely do exist and function as a trauma response. For a while it didn't seem like it, and you know bodily we are in our 30s so there's been a long time between childhood and who's "alive" right now. It's possible that all this time we've cycled out members and just don't remember them anymore. To be fair our memory is terrible.

This is somethkng thats happened before, we suddenly don't feel real anymore, we suddenly feel lost and as though the people we know are no longer our friends, communities we're in feel hostile suddenly for some reason. The person we were kinda dips out and a bunch of confused half-people take over and have a crisis about "boo hoo who are we and why are we here and why now"

I'm starting to loose the point of this ramble and I also have to get to work soon and spend 8 hours babysitting grown ass people bc retail is hell...

[terramythos]

Mort by Terry Pratchett Reading Notes

Full Review Here!

So this book also opens with a young person and their parents. As did Equal Rites which I need to restart 

Ok so I didn't take notes as methodically as usual to start But as with Guards Guards it is very funny, with jokes that just keep coming back when you don't expect them. Lots of good bits and parallels 

And the fucking MORPHOGENETIC FIELD fuck 

-i like Mort but he's most certainly going to do some Dumb Shit. He is also very blank slate in terms of protagonists. His most consistent trait is reminding people about his name. Which I imagine will have some payoff 

-I find some of the parallels funny like death clearly taking on Mort to maybe get together with his adopted daughter after his dad talked about that exact thing (in that context seemingly ridiculous). I hope there's more to it than that however. 

-and I do wonder about how succession with Death would even work. As I'm pretty sure Death in this book is the same entity in the whole series 

-not to make this elder scrolls but I guess they could do something like Sheogorath where you Become that person in every significant way after inheriting the role from them. I'm sure there's a better comparison/example lol 

-but Mort could just be a. Friend or something. Which would also be fine 

-I'm sure sexy witch won't be a Thing at all later  

-Listeners hear every sound in Discworld? 

-"light dawned on Mort, but very slowly" lmao 

-ok Death showing up to someone who perpetually reincarnates is a little bit funny. What Is the point 

-'cut the heir with a knife' what a pun. Insane 

- interesting to frame Mort saving Keli from her perspective. So we don't know exactly what he thought as he did it. And this was presumably a Very Bad Thing since she was supposed to die and he killed the assassin instead? 

-so many anachronistic similies and metaphors. I guess that is appropriate for this book specifically 

-also idk if this is relevant at all. But Keli not dying has a big butterfly effect, obviously. But what about the assassin? Who were they? How would their death change things? 

-i have to imagine no one really noticing you exist suddenly without being FULLY non existent would be pretty awful 

-"there's no justice. There's just you" will this come around again to a "just us" 

-ok Ysabelle kinda goth. Which like obviously, but nice  

-oops! You made a split timeline 

-theres something interesting about this? Border? Between realities an 'interface'. Cause that has a very specific meaning in 2024, but I bet it read different in 1987. At least a little 

-i like the narrative dropping A Big Hint for the reader by noting how the character did not notice it 

-the description of how Mort has changed might be The Quote 

-a fan of something being so real it's uncanny. Especially in the realm of fiction. Gives me Inkheart thoughts 

-ok the whole thing with Mort being able to walk through doors and walls was introduced EARLY and continues to be so. And Death seemed to consider it normal. But what causes it? Why does it only work sometimes? 

-this is a fairly familiar plot where you change 1 thing in history and everything else changes as a butterfly effect. The main difference so far is it being a delayed reaction. I want to see if Pratchett does something different with it otherwise 

-capital L Logic "taking the night off too" 

-so a split timeline will heal itself but Mort is going to fuck it up again? 

-a fucking island named KRULL? No way, no fucking way. Hold on I have to look something up 

-2 thing I learned googling Krull: the MOVIE Krull came out in 1983, 4 years before this book. So it is very plausible Pratchett knew of it. Second thing is Liam Neeson was in it, which I was somehow unaware of or forgot 

-"why did you save me?" "... for later" God damn why is Pratchett clever 

-Mort suddenly scary! And here I think is the first bit where he doesn't say "Mort" when someone calls him boy. Instead he's scary about it. So. That's a fun play on what I expected. 

-we have. Switched to present tense. I see 

-im not sure what this revelation about Malich is supposed to be implying. Maybe I missed something. I think the only person we don't know anything about it Deaths butler? Guy? 

-oh yeah. Albert is his name. And the famous wizard is Alberto Malich. So Death like. Adopted a famous wizard who's now like. A cook? 

-my biggest area of criticism with this book is I just have zero investment in Mort's obsession with this random princess. Like it's an objectively stupid thing to cause so much trouble over. Doesn't even know her. Maybe that's the point but it's hard with no investment whatsoever in it 

-A PET SWAMP DRAGON??? I UNDERSTAND THAT REFERENCE (read: the only other book I've read in this series) 

-trying to imagine how shooting Mort would even work. 

-it is difficult to convey how clever & funny Death's alternate typeface is when it shows up unexpectedly. Just an oh shit moment every time. 

-'if you win, you will [do this] ' 'and if I lose?' 'You will wish you had won' what a fucking threat lmao 

-update: shooting Mort did not work. 

-i know this book predates "bucket list" as a term but that is nevertheless what Death seems to be doing 

-god I thought the bit was gonna be that Death can't get drunk and then he DOES halfway through the scene. Then manually stops being drunk

-bartender: 'well at least this weird hooded figure seems to be harmless' (it's literally Death)

-no way can Albert be a wizard, he doesn't wear a wizard hat! So true bestie 

-i know Ysabell is probably like The Actual Love Interest but it is a little cute that Mort got so angry at people not using his name but went back to just correcting when Ysabell did it 

-theres a whole shelf! Aw fuck do we have a doctor who situation or some shit 

-no he's just been alive that long ig. Wonder if this character shows up elsewhere 

-Death at a job broker.... 

-Oh my GOD *THAT* was the payoff for the "Mort." bit! A fucking typeface wham line. Jesus christ that's good lmao  

-"Death must be the loneliest creature in the universe" either sounds like a quote from some ancient philosopher or an 80s prog rock album. But nope, Pratchett. 

-ysabell girlboss 

-kinda feel bad for Death finding happiness and the implication being he can't keep it. Unless Mort does actually become Death 

-and there's the idea of becoming real becoming more like death. All in a fictional story of course. 

-ok I am Compelled, finally, by Morts transformation. 

-i do really like how the "Mort." bit has extended throughout the book to convey his character arc and even got integrated into the storytelling in a meta way with the Death typeface. 

-this presents the idea of a human becoming Death as Really Bad because if you apply human morality and emotion to it, Death becomes cruel. Which sounds philosophical as fuck and all, but it brings to mind all the terrible things humans have done when inflicting death on others. It is comforting to think of Death as neutral from the perspective of an uncaring universe-- all things die, no matter what, but likewise, its hard as a human to see Death that way within the context of lives and experiences. 

-but there is some positivity to the overall story so I am interested to see the "good" side if there is one. I'm not sure there is 

-Mort is a blank slate character, i think intentionally so, so that as he develops we see how his mistakes and the worst sides of his personality manifest as he matures and becomes more Real, like Death. The actual Death character isn't cruel but when Mort is given the opportunity he makes selfish decisions (rescuing Keli) and cruel (how he treats Albert in this scene). So then my question is where do his Best traits manifest? Is it impossible for then to, in this context and with this kind of power? 

-man Mort is so mean to Ysabell. 

-the fucking speech check war between the Emperor and Vizier was pretty funny 

-oh hey, The Librarian cameo. And.. Albert called him a monkey. Oh dear. Also isn't Rincewind a protag in another series 

-"THERE'S NO JUSTICE," said Mort. "THERE'S JUST US."  --- Oh my god I fucking called it I CALLED IT I KNEW they were gonna use that line holy shit 

-"You are whatever you think you are" hell yeah 

-at least Ysabell punched Mort in the face. He kind of deserved it 

-shout out to The Librarian killing Albert lmfao 

-the elephant gets drunk and sees pink people 

-i mean good for the elephant going home. Ok king 

-i like the implication that the speed of night is faster than the speed of light 

-oh so we do get to play a game with Death? At the end? 

-"were all lives--from a personal viewpoint-- entirely the same length?" I mean okay damn 

-i like Mort thinking "you'll never beat him... the best we can do is hold him off for a while" about Death, but in the context of like. A duel. 

-i mean YEAH you CAN turn hourglasses over! Obviously! That's how they work! 

-the weight of a pearl, huh 

-I like closing the story with Mort reading his own book and that becoming the last of the narration 

Hmm ok! So I liked it. But have some mixed thoughts. I'll need to gather them together 

First off I loved the writing, Pratchett really was clever and had very unique and humorous ways of saying things. Stuff like "her voice could have kept milk fresh for a month" instead of "her voice was icy". And its not just wordplay but situations themselves. It is difficult to convey just how much clever stuff there is in the book because it would 

overwhelm anything else. I think that this is probably true for most of the Discworld books and is at least in part why they're so beloved. I have a hard time thinking of other writers with quite this knack for clever humor in such a nonstop abundance. There's stuff like this book introducing the detail that every person has a book being written that narrates their life, then closing out the book with Mort reading from his, and then using that as the closing narration. Like that's cool and brilliant. 

I like Morts character arc and how he goes from a blank slate to something more in order to convey how being Death's apprentice changes him. There is also fun worldbuilding and creativity on how Death's actual job works, with the tongue and cheek acknowledgement that even this is a personification and not really real. 

Deaths typeface is used as an honest to God wham line which is probably the only example I've seen of... a font conveying a plot twist. I guess technically this also happens in other Discworld scenes where Death shows up unexpectedly. But in this particular story it's not Death saying it which is why its so shocking. 

My main struggle with Mort is I had a hard time caring about or being invested in the main plot. For example, the inciting incident that kicks off the main plot is Mort making a selfish decision to save the life of a princess who is destined to die, purely because he has a shallow crush on her. I know it's intentional that their relationship doesn't really matter and is just surface level. But theres nothing to make me care about it at all, and when him doing this AND KEEPING IT SECRET FROM DEATH is the main source of narrative tension, it's a problem when I can't find any reason to care about it. 

The plot itself is very... loose I guess. It's a collection of scenes and vignettes a lot of the time that are only tangentially related to the story. Which is fine, but this makes the problem of investment in the story even harder for me. I was suddenly very compelled when Mort started to transform into Death and the personal issues of identity, human behavior, etc that this introduces. It just felt like that's what the story should have been about the whole time. 

Basically what carried me through the book was the clever prose and humorous scenes/situations. Which again, is fine! I definitely enjoyed reading Mort. It just didn't amaze me as a story. 

Probably the funniest thing is you could remove Albert from the story entirely and it wouldn't change anything. Like slightly rework the scene at the University near the end and you're set. It felt like Pratchett realized we needed a villain in the third act and assigned that role to a random side character so Albert was evil, briefly, then not as soon as Death dealt with it. Just felt very oddly paced and structured 

There are loose ends that did not get concluded and I'm not sure if this means they are explored in greater depth later. For example Mort bungles one Death collection and a witch's soul escapes mortality. Another is this persistent idea/theme of what's "real". We explore it a little but never to its conclusion. Mort gets a pearl which is supposedly a piece of reality he created. And there's the idea of one reality happening when it shouldn't and how the universe reacts to it. But it's very mechanical (literally turns into an artifact) and the thematic implications are still up in the air 

Anyway I'm thinking 7/10 cause it was good and a fun read, just didn't floor me

[askaniritual]

So totally random, and okay if you don’t think of this character in this way, but do you think it’s at all a part of karkat’s character that he tends to like people more than they like him? Maybe this is just a like hobbled together reading of his character since I haven’t read all of homestuck, but it seems to be a thing in terms of the triangle between him and Dave and Terezi, But also it’s just post-scratch (and maybe a little before it) I feel like sollux’s primary relationships became feferi and Arcadia, and I don’t think their relationship gets really revisited. I know you mentioned before that like oh karkat is kinda obsessed with sollux, but like if they were to have drifted apart what do you think karkat and solluxs feelings towards each other would be in that scenario and do you think they blame themselves or other people from maybe getting the way of their relationship/friendship(?).

Also I think you’d like the song internet baby (interlude) by pinkpantheress it gives me vibes that it’s like about gamzee but idk if the pov character is like sollux or karkat or someone else.

i loooooveee when you guys tee me up to riff on character dynamics i've just made up in my head lol its very fun for me

but fr i mean (hopefully) you know this but i've only read hs act 5 so anything i'm saying about any character ever is me talking about what i remember of act 5, context ive picked up from fandom and the hsmtw podcast, and stuff i read in fanfiction. and as far as fanfiction goes i tend to read non-sgrub alternia aus pretty exclusively and that is like. the dynamic that i am primarily interested in. so yk take anything im saying abt any character in comic canon w a hymalayan salt lamp's worth of salt

anywayyyyy all that being said i actually kind of see it the other way around? in that karkat's self-loathing really gets in the way of him understanding the extent to which people care about him. i think he's somebody who gets so wrapped up in trying to justify other people's affection for him that it causes people to get fed up and move on waiting for him to decide if he thinks he deserves to be loved

i do not recall saying i think karkat is obsessed w sollux? altho totally possible i did lmfao. i agree canon doesn't leave much room for them to be together (and i dont think that was ever like. an intended reading of act 5 to be perfectly honest lol) and to me i see it as like i think it's very easy for them to drift apart given their deep-seated insecurities. karkat definitely always blames himself for everything even when its not deserved or productive tho and i think if sollux is angry he's fine to let that happen to avoid having a difficult conversation

like i know i say this all the time but for me it all comes back to that sollux is like. societally and narratively an object and so everything he does is steeped in resentment for the fact that it's completely irrelevant vs his utility as a straight up battery. and karkat is kind of in the opposite position where societally he is considered completely useless and marked for death so he feels this overwhelming urge to make himself useful in some sense to try and prove that he has any worth at all. and i think this opposing dichotomy is interesting in that it creates two people who have on the surface similar anxieties that manifest in functionally opposite directions and then on top of all that they r still besties and can't fully extricate themselves from each other even though they r continually talking past each other

and thanks for the song rec! very fun song i could see it being from gamzee's perspective abt karkat for sure lol

[mokutone]

@pax-thuban left these tags on a post:

#well. first of all. this is so. bittersweet #like screaming and crying and throwing up on the floor etc #second of all. maybe i'm looking too much into this but. #it's interesting to see that there's blood splatters on tenzo's face /and/ his mask #if i recall correctly. the mask covers his happuri as well #the implication that tenzo lost his mask during battle. put it back on presumably /still/ in battle. continued killing #idk. just hurts #like something something anbu work forces him to feel more comfortable wearing a mask and conforming to a nameless org and set of ideals#and forgoing individuality #or like. something something maybe he feels worse that his face got 'stained' because it's basically a reminder that 'cat' and 'tenzo' #are one and the same and not two distinct entities no matter how much he wants to separate his identity and his anbu lifestyle #and the fact that the happuri is blank and doesn't have a konoha leaf on it.... he doesn't feel connected to the community even as he kills #for it... #i feel like it's kind of obvious that it's significant that the comic shows tenzo taking off his mask as he shows his weariness/depression #regarding anbu work and then how he thinks about kakashi as a jonin sensei. like representing himself as tenzo the individual rather than#'cat' a faceless tool of konoha in the shadows #i also feel like it's kind of noteworthy that the perspective(? is that what it's called for images?) zooms in on tenzo's face #first panel is mostly black and tenzo's body is off-center(?). like his face is centered but his body's not. and that leaves more room for #the black background. but the second panel fills it up with the kakashi thought bubble and tenzo's body comes into the center to fill up #the bottom half. and then the third panel makes tenzo himself fill up more space. there's less 'darkness' now #not sure how to say it other than. his sole saving grace in anbu at the moment is preserving his self and bond with kakashi ig #i also like how the black background isn't pure black. there's a tinge of red(? idk it could also be orange? but i'm taking it as red) #like one hand. maybe a reference to the whole blood thing. a reflection of how he feels surrounded by that reminder of murder instead #of just it being select patches on his skin #on the other hand (and this might be looking too deep 😔) maybe how allusion to the sharingan. how even though he left root #anbu still feels very similar to it that he feels reminded of how he was watched by danzo? #sorry for rambling. i am in an analysing mood today #but i'm also not that great at analysing visual art lmao

nooo no sorries! this is really useful and EXTREMELY flattering to receive such detailed thoughts, i feel like im back in a School Crit Circle or something, which is really fun and helpful. Critique like this rlly helps me understand what people are bringing to my art when I make it and how it's getting interpreted, which as somebody who wants to tell understandable stories via images, is useful to me beyond what words can describe!

like—there's no "right" or "wrong" when it comes to interpreting art, there is my intention, but my intention isn't necessarily what comes out (like how kishimoto somehow accidentally wrote two teenagers who he meant for us to perceive as straight, in the pains and throes of love for each other. like he wrote that, whether or not he intended to. i dont even actually ship s/n bc it doesn't have The One Ingredient for me, but its...also something thats hard to ignore about the text)

and similarly, since theres no way to objectively read a text, when you read it you're putting it in your own context, finishing the painting yourself with whatever colors you've got in your palette to use

that said! I can answer for my intentions in some of these

The blood and the mask: Practically, you're 100% right! Mask needs to be off to get at the happuri. That he's got blood on both his mask, and his happuri, means that at some point in the battle, he lost his mask and then put it on. In terms of art, I did this because the juxaposition contrast between the blood and the small amount of joy he's taking in thinking about a scarecrow, felt really important, and I didn't want to lose that with the removal of the mask. I also put the blood splatter in the same place, coming in from Tenzō's left, and splattering upward across his forehead area. Practically, this would mean that he was in the same position by a spatter of blood twice, but symbolically this implies that he is or feels like the same with or without the mask—like u talk about them being the same entity. I didn't really do that intentionally though—like I didn't think about it. I just kinda was like "yea that feels right. anyway moving on."

No leaf on the happuri: I AGREE WITH YOU ABT THE SYMBOLISM...he doesnt feel connected to konoha in a Real way until he's co-captaining, I think. He needs to be allowed to LIVE in Konoha to be a part of it... That said, if I'm not drawing Captain Yamato Post-Sunlight-Exposure I straight up forget that he had the leaf at all–I know it's supposed to be a Danzō thing, but I keep thinking it's an anbu thing. Honestly, since I agree with the symbolism, whether or not I forget or make an intentional choice not to depict it really doesn't matter I suppose

The Zoom In: Kind of the same as the last! i felt in my heart that we had to zoom in...I didn't think about it in terms of ''lessening darkness'' although now that I've read you write that I like THAT reading much more—esp since so much of yamato's themes in canon seem to be about sunlight and darkness...there's an interesting reading of darkness lessening (because he takes up more space) without light gaining any footing (he's still, as always, situated in the dark) about like, the little things that one can do to manage their depression or a dark situation, even when they still aren't able to be fully FREE of it quite yet (if ever). I think, when I was thinking abt it, I was thinking about making Tenzō seem very small and alone in the first panel, and then even after thinking about Kakashi, he's not quite so small in the panel, even though he still remains alone. This being said, the darkness reading is much stronger than the loneliness reading, even though they go hand in hand, I much prefer your interpretation.

the red in the black: This is interesting!!!! I like your interpretations a lot...in terms of materials this is only black india ink, so there's no red actually in it, but in the photo I can see what you mean—the ink I'm using is shiny because the "matte" ink is twice the price of it and I'm a cheapskate, and it inevitably creates shines of color when scanned or photographed. Obviously though, the lack of intention or the material contrast doesn't mean you're wrong—I saw the colorful patches in the image and decided it was fine enough to post anyway, they're a piece of the art as it exists digitally! Open for critique and interpretation. I like the idea that the darkness is connected to the blood very much especially, because it is for Tenzō, isn't it?

anyway, ty v much for your analysis, i was incredibly flattered to receive it, and i think you're actually super good at it, in my opinion!

[patchdotexe]

i heard (from a three-month old post of yours) you have klonoa thoughts and i'm interested in hearing them (if you still have them)

even if not i still want to say i am on that klonoa hyperfixation juice and am a sucker for all of the symbolism i've found in the phantasy reverie games i swear it's so good

YES yes yes yes. i may not have been klonoaposting recently but i am ALWAYS full of thoughts and emotions about the series. most of them are incoherent. and will also be even more incoherent rn bc i am not very awake.

(this also comes with the disclaimer that i havent yet gotten to play the phantasy reverie version of lunatea's veil because i got to 5-2 in door to phantomile, went "not this shit again", and took a break and then haven't gotten around to setting my switch back up after travel. whoops)

i.. am putting this under a readmore.. because this is likely to get very long (and also discussing unreality in the context of klonoa worldbuilding)

SO THE DEAL WITH KLONOA. is mostly the continuity. it is a big ol' mess. the timeline between games doesn't make sense, characters appear and disappear at random, entire major character-shifting revelations (eg everything about huepow) get dropped, nahatomb goes from the incarnation of nightmares to Just Some Skeevy CEO in beach volleyball (and it's hilarious), it's just.. really hard to parse if you're somebody trying to link stuff together. i've seen some complaints about it, and as one of those people who likes to tie things together and will take a wrench to canon if i have to, i agreed for a while

and then when talking about klonoa to my friends, i came to a very important realization that made me sit down for a while and go "oh. yeah. of course."

everything is a dream.

like.. that's the whole premise of the series. these are all dream worlds that klonoa is being brought to and becomes part of for the duration of his stay. they're not supposed to be coherently connected, even if certain characters keep showing up. huepow is in empire of dreams despite it being probably after door to phantomile because huepow is someone important to klonoa, even if it doesn't really make sense for the overall narrative for him to be there without any explanation. same with lolo. klonoa meets someone, gets attached to them, and wants to see them again, so he does.

(you could also extrapolate this into "huepow is always in ring spirit form and the big reveal isn't addressed because klonoa doesn't want to acknowledge it", but that's a bit of a rougher subject.)

there's also potential for the idea that locations and people in door to phantomile are based off klonoa's waking life-- breezegale shows up a couple times (door to phantomile and klonoa heroes, i feel like there's another time i'm forgetting), klonoa's grandpa in dtp might be a phantomilian version of his actual grandpa, stuff like that. it would at least explain how huepow was easily able to graft klonoa into phantomile: there's already something to connect him to.

add onto that the fact that huepow says that, to phantomile, klonoa's world is a "strange dream".. huepow basically flipped klonoa's perspective, to where phantomile is the "real" breezegale and the real waking world is just a weird dream he had and forgot all the details of. which is still pretty fucked up. i do not have the energy to get fully into Huepow Thoughts but my emotions about this orb are "you did not need to do any of this and i am going to cry". this is a "huepow you really need to think more about your life choices" blog

idk there is a LOT to be done with how everything is framed and i really really want to explore that sometime. i fucking love klonoa

[thedisneyfanartdidntdie]

PvP chapter 2: Expectations Vs. Reality

Sparknotes:

Minnie boards Mickey onto the Hawkins airship before Mickey is supposed to executed at Alcatraz; the journey is supposed to take a month's time.

Interesting how the law/legal system is described here; it's a sham and a system that continually fails people - not too unlike our modern American legal system. Kinda irrelevant but really shares @shewhowantsmouseears's incredible world building.

Minnie lets Mickey keep his yo-yo (if I remember correctly, it's no ordinary yo-yo)

How Mickey starts his "Turtledove" nickname for Minnie 🥺🥺🥺

Minnie reads Mickey her letters and tells him about the engagement - his distaste towards "Morty" and the mailed ring 😂😂😂

"My dog's sneezed up shinier things than that" 😂😂😂 in my head canon this is definitely adlibbed and I can imagine Minnie fighting back giggles and they have to "cut" and reshoot

Mickey trying to convince himself he didn't care about her 😏😘 Okay but him caring for her is just... *swoon* and you know what makes it so sweet and romantic? He didn't care for her because she was pretty or because he was "in love" - he cares for her because he's a genuinely caring person and his honest/unfiltered opinion/perspective isn't given in the context or even attempt to flatter her or win her heart!! Captain Mickey Mouse, you caring scoundrel you 😍

Also Mickey is clearly listening to Minnie - like actually soaking in her words, hence his arguing with her about her being "a screw-up" and why she's marrying Mortimer, etc. This is what's making him so attractive (to the audience at least) and why we're rooting for them to be together!

"what do ye want?" 🥺🥺🥺💗💗💗

Minnie fights her feelings/emotions - she's a strong woman but I don't think she's ever been given a safe space to express her emotions or even feel her emotions were valid

My notes/thoughts:

I know it's very early on but, again, I admire how genuine DixieMame wrote/built the MxM love story; Mickey and Minnie genuinely are not attracted to each other at first!! Their first interaction feels.. indifferent? Like they're clearly demonstrating their personalities - Mickey being his childish self and Minnie honoring her duties/responsibilities as a private who just captured a pirate. Yet because we the audience are familiar with Mickey and Minnie as characters, we know they're destined (doomed? I guess if you ask Private Minnie according to the next chapter XD) to fall in love, or at least become friends and respect/grow fond of each other. In my [head canon] (I feel like I need a better term for this but essentially it is my own concocted canon world/story) I imagine the two make amends and become friends again before shooting the film series starts, so it's kinda sweet that they have these early interactions of indifference between their characters when behind the scenes they're actually quite fond of each other.

Minnie's key traits; hard-working, spunky, determined, but also goofy and up-tight

Mickey's key traits; goofy/silly, immature but like in a way that conceals a more mature man underneath?? certainly charming, the kind of good trouble you should run away from but don't want to - honestly idk if it's just me being a Mickey Mouse s!mp or he actual character but he has me snugly wrapped around his finger by the end of chapter 3, and in my "head canon" I can easily see fangirls fawning over him early on in the series - maybe even Miss Minnie herself 😏

The love dynamic between Turtledove and Captain is a lot like the dynamic between Usui and Misaki in "Maid-sama." They bicker and Misa is determined to "outrun" Usui and it's an exhausting journey to get the part when Misaki finally returns Usui's love - but it works; you root for them to be together and it doesn't feel like it's wrong to hope they fall in love, or continue to, rather. I don't know how DixieMame and the Maid-Sama's writers were able to pull that love troupe off - maybe it's just because I'm a Capricorn and rather than jump through all those hoops I'd just want to confess my feelings and ask if they were returned or not so we could get to the next step faster. What the hell kind of troupe is it anyway? The patient lover and the self-denying ambitious woman? The will-they/won't-they? There are lots of external factors adding turbulence to the relationship, but the primary cock-block in it is the woman's self-denial and refusal to fall in love/admit to being in love because she feels like her counterpart is mocking her/using her attraction against her?? It's funny how Mickey/Usui so clearly love Minnie/Misa - not only is it clear to the audience but they also outright say "I love you" to their love interest - along with doing things/demonstrating their affections, obviously, but the woman just won't let it be. I'm astounded by any writer who successfully pulls this troupe off.

In my head canon I imagine Mickey and Minnie reverse roles of Captain and Turtledove; Mickey is the one being stubborn about his feelings and Minnie is the one pursuing him/making it clear she loves him - or maybe it's not her making her affections obvious but rather being at peace with her affections and loving Mickey more than being afraid of his rejection?? It's complicated, in my head canon Mickey confessed his love for Minnie years prior to filming but she ran off and avoided him/his affections as she pursued a fashion career and managed her mental health/character growth. Anyways point is in this chapter DixieMame is setting their love story up perfectly and I'm pulling hair out trying to crack the code to her skill so I can mimic the dynamic for my head canon.

[die-tenebris]

Not a lotta people talk about this and even less fans talk about it, but gosh- I was looking it up again and the discussion continues to disappoint. Some people will be like 'yeah, there is a problem with the outfits! ... I don't like that link is wearing one!' well thanks for the gender policing in video games I guess. Then some people concede 'yeah the outfits may be inaccurate/insensitive/overly pander-y but I can excuse it cause I'm gay for it uwu' 🙃 ho boy bud how do I explain that really offensive costumes aren't made inoffensive cause you personally enjoy them

Like, they could've, idk, given some other cultures some revealing clothes, they could've looked at more historically accurate clothing from the SWANA region that wasn't totally entrenched in colonialist sexist perspectives, link could get his gnc outfits anywhere else in the game but no it's just the really insulting xerox of an extremely inaccurate orientalist xerox where that happens

I think the gerudo are very cool! I really want the best for them, but Nintendo is consistently doing a huge disservice to the culture they're trying to portray by relying too much on bad sources it seems

furthermore I really really dislike seeing how much the fans buy into this sorta harmful imagery, I've seen so many toxic zelda fans shoot down critics who question the way nintendo portrays the gerudo people and it's GROSS. They often come from a very western perspective, they're typically sexist n racist, or they're feminist tenderqueers that literally won't listen, either way they white knight for Nintendo til the death cause Nintendo and other massive franchises have sold this idea of The Middle East to the point where awful wretched representation is seen as not being so bad to the majority of their western audience

And! I dunno! I'm just overall really sick of people not getting that a problem exists! That they don't wanna look into anything about it, they don't wanna hear dissenting criticisms from anyone all cause 'woah cool aesthetic'. Aesthetics aren't ever devoid of context though, you can't simply enjoy something that is so patently offensive and ignore the problems cause whatever pseudo neoliberal bs you make up to shield your favorite little franchise or ego

.... every day I am reminded that the zelda-making people really ... really should read Orientalism.. or like do any research... or hire any sensibility people on the gerudo cause like..... wow